Injuries make it difficult to fancy odds-on Portsmouth

Sky Bet League One
Sky Sports Football, 2.30pm Sunday

If you are heading to Priestfield it may well be worth your while to take a pair of boots as Gillingham and Portsmouth are short on numbers for their televised Sky Bet League One clash.

Neither side can be trusted to win given their problems and Pompey are worth swerving at odds-on for their trip to Kent.

Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett is missing sidelined nine-goal top scorer Brett Pitman and Conor Chaplin, whose two goals put him joint-second in the list, is also injured.

Replacement forward Oliver Hawkins may well be needed as an emergency centre-back if doubtful duo Nathan Thompson and Christian Burgess are ruled out, while midfielders are going to be needed to fill-in at full-back.

No chances will be taken with Thompson's head injury but Burgess may well be risked to allow Hawkins to provide Pompey with a goal threat. Punters thinking of a bet on the away side would surely like to know that was the case before taking the plunge.

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It's hard to be enthusiastic about Gillingham too. But Bradford and Shrewsbury are the only visiting teams to have won at Priestfield this season, while the only goal they have conceded in three matches since caretaker Peter Taylor took over came in a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn.

Just three players have scored for lowly Gills in the league this season and one of them - four-goal leading hitman Tom Eaves - is suspended.

Winning may prove a step too far, but Gillingham could frustrate Pompey, in the same way they denied Scunthorpe in a recent 0-0 stalemate.

Recommendation
Draw
1pt 14-5 bet365

Bet on this game at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Gillingham
Tom Eaves and Mark Byrne are suspended and Gabriel Zakuani is on international duty. Luke O'Neill, Alex Lacey, Scott Wagstaff, Aaron Morris and Bradley Garmston are injured. Billy Bingham lacks match fitness but could be available.

Portsmouth
Centre-backs Christian Burgess and Nathan Thompson are doubts. Damien McCrory, Brett Pitman and Conor Chaplin are out.

Key stat
Both teams have scored in only four of Gillingham's 14 matches this season.

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